On Constant Matters
by Fiercest
Summary: 10 Truths about Ichigo and Rukia. Because they can’t identify it, put a name or sensation to the feeling. It’s just something simple and complicated all at once. It just is.


**Title: **On Constant Matters

**Format: **Ten Truths

**Pairing: **Ichiruki

**Note: **I hate #7. It's too cheesy for me, but I couldn't think of anything else at the time. However…because canon is a Plot Turtle lately (See Sierra's dictionary of AWESOME for a definition) I really felt the need to post this.

Enjoy.

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**1. He doesn't actually know the color of her eyes.**

Despite the hours he's spent holding her gaze, he isn't really concentrating on the hue per say, so much as the woman behind the glaring orbs poised to pierce right through him.

At night he has dreams of her eyes. He falls into their depths, content, warm and exhilarated at the same time.

When he wakes up, the context of the dream is just beyond his reach and as consciousness sweeps him out of the warm clutches of sleep he _still can't seem_ to remember the color.

**2. She does, in fact, know how to open a juice box, work a microwave and flip channels.**

But these are things that in the beginning he had to do for her.

And she knows that in some small way he takes pride in teaching her.

She has taught him all she knows of her own world. And he continues to do the same.

**3. He hated it when she hit her growth spurt.**

Despite his namecalling and complaining, whining and scowling, he actually takes satisfaction from her small stature. He'll never admit it, even on pain of death, but short just seems to fit her.

Out of balance, he'd growl in his thoughts as an excuse, although who he was trying to convince he was never sure of.

Ichigo Kurosaki is a creature of habit and didn't like change, a change in Rukia especially.

In his world, Kuchiki Rukia had always been a constant.

So she let him gloat a little when he hit his own growth spurt.

**4. After returning from Hueco Mundo Rukia grew out of her love of all things Chappy the Rabbit.**

In the dark corners of Ichigo's room, where she returns night after night while his sisters are fast asleep and unsuspecting, she sees her nightmares coming to fruition. She sees the night stalkers and the creatures wearing masks of white horror that haunted her as a child.

At night she becomes his silent guardian angel, his protector from the horrors crouching hidden in the dark corners of his room.

She has become old, cold, tired and worn.

But in the day she is as has always been.

The perfect actress.

**5. While Rukia remained in Soul Society, Ichigo turned to his darker self for company.**

Loneliness is an all-encompassing thing.

It eats at you from the inside, tearing at your innards, leaving gore and emptiness in its _consuming_horrendous_bottomless_ wake.

He hides from his own weaknesses within his mind. It's safe there, unlike his heart. There is pain and confusion there, but in his mind it's all rationalization and twinges of insanity.

He has company there; he has himself and a darker, more frightening version.

When she returns after such a long absence he thinks that she must know how silly he has been. He knows that she is aware of how stupid he was. And she accuses him silently, with eyes whose color he is still unsure of.

**6. On the night of the full moon Rukia changes.**

She doesn't know how, or why, but when a pearl of white shines on the black velvet backdrop of sky, something bubbles inside her and she feels strong. She feels powerful and invincible and believes for that one night that she can do absolutely anything.

She tells Ichigo a year after she first met him and all he can say to it is that he always knew she was weird.

But on that night she shared something with him that no one but her enemies has ever seen or felt.

He is grateful for this.

**7. Ichigo would do anything for his little sisters.**

And in return they would do anything for him.

They love each other.

And more than anything else, Rukia envies him this.

What she wants is her own brother's approval and reciprocation of love.

She wants the close knit, interwoven bond that the three of them share. She craves it like a junkie, her fix, she needs it like air, like water. But for the time being, until Byakuya is ready, and even if she never is; Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and Isshin have willingly inaugurated her into the Kurosaki clan. They have substituted themselves as her surrogate family.

She would do anything for them too.

Just as they would, her.

**8. Rukia isn't afraid of anything.**

Before the academy, Nameless Rukia was a Rukongai brat. She had nobody, no home, no food and no shelter.

That life had hardened her. After waking from the cold vestiges of sleep she doesn't awake feeling very strong, but after the fact, she felt pride for having survived it all. Anything that life throws her after that…she has seen worse. And she knows that there will always be a way to get past it. _Because_ _she has seen worse_. She fears nothing anymore.

And yet, when rubble and gore surrounds them and his face is hidden by something white, cold and lifeless she finds herself scared.

She discovers something.

Kuchiki Rukia is fears nothing more in this world than the possibility of a silly little human boy never coming back to her.

**9. When he was a little boy, Ichigo used to suck his thumb.**

Because of this there is a slightly noticeable gap between his two front teeth and his grin can be almost comical at times. Who has the energy to worry about braces after what _he's_ been through, anyway?

Rukia claims that she caught him doing it once and taunts him mercilessly for it.

However, secretly, she thinks it just might be the most endearing thing she's ever seen and wishes he'd smile more often.

**10. They love each other.**

Neither one will admit it.

Because they can't identify it, put a name or sensation to the feeling. It's just something simple and complicated all at once. It just _is_.

No matter what anyone says, no matter who else enters and makes home in their hearts.

One truth: they will _always_ love each other.


End file.
